Belarus detains journalist Ihar Karnei on undisclosed charges, bans Polish journalist Justyna Prus
New York, July 20, 2023—Belarusian authorities should immediately disclose the reason for the recent detention of journalist Ihar Karnei, reverse their decision to ban Polish journalist Justyna Prus, and let the media work freely, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Thursday. On Monday, July 17, authorities in Minsk searched the home of Karnei, a former…
CPJ urges Bangladesh to stop using Digital Security Act to harass Adhora Yeasmean and other journalists
New York, July 13, 2023—Bangladesh authorities must immediately drop their investigation into journalist Adhora Yeasmean and stop using the Digital Security Act to intimidate journalists in retaliation for their work, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Thursday. On May 13, the Chittagong Cyber Tribunal, which adjudicates alleged cybercrime offenses in southeast Bangladesh, registered a complaint under…
Belarusian journalist Andrey Famin sentenced to 7 years in prison
New York, July 7, 2023—In response to a Belarusian court sentencing journalist Andrey Famin to seven years in prison, the Committee to Protect Journalists issued the following statement of condemnation: “The seven-year prison sentence handed down to Belarusian journalist Andrey Famin for his alleged involvement in a low-profile network of regional newspapers is proof that…
100 days since Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich was detained in Russia
Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich will have spent 100 days behind bars as of Friday, July 7. Gershkovich, the newspaper’s accredited Russia correspondent, was reporting when he was detained and falsely accused of espionage. His employer vehemently denies the allegations, and CPJ, media organizations, and the U.S. government have called for his immediate release….
Congolese soldiers arrest, beat 3 journalists covering land dispute
Kinshasa, June 30, 2023—Authorities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo must hold accountable the soldiers who arrested and beat journalists Jeef Ngoyi, Marie-Louise Malou Mbela, and Jiresse Nkelani, and cease detaining journalists covering the news, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Friday. On Wednesday, June 28, at least 12 soldiers from the Armed Forces…
Belarusian journalist Pavel Padabed sentenced to 4 years in prison
New York, June 30, 2023—In response to a Belarusian court sentencing journalist Pavel Padabed to four years in prison on Friday, June 30, the Committee to Protect Journalists issued the following statement: “The sentencing of Belarusian journalist Pavel Padabed to four years’ imprisonment after a hasty two-day trial is a travesty of justice,” said Gulnoza…
Ferdinand Ayité, Togo
CPJ is honored to present its 2023 International Press Freedom Award to Togolese journalist Ferdinand Ayité. Ferdinand Ayité is one of the most targeted journalists in Togo in recent years—facing persistent legal harassment and threats that have forced him into exile. His phone number also appeared on the Pegasus Project list of journalists allegedly selected…
Golam Rabbani Nadim
At around 10 p.m. on June 14, 2023, a group of about seven men ambushed Bangladeshi journalist Golam Rabbani Nadim while he was traveling home on his motorcycle in the Bakshiganj sub-district of northern Mymensingh division, according to news reports, security footage of the incident published by Ekattor TV, and Al Mujahid Babu, a journalist…
Haitian television station owner disappears days after brief abduction of his journalist wife
New York, June 22, 2023—The Committee to Protect Journalists on Thursday called on Haitian authorities to investigate the reported kidnapping of Pierre-Louis Opont, the president of Haiti’s independent Télé Pluriel channel 44, and the brief abduction of his journalist wife Marie Lucie Bonhomme. The disappearance of Opont on Tuesday, June 20, came days after Bonhomme,…